Baling-press.



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No. 698,353. Patented Apr. 22, 1902.

.1. J. ATKINSON.

BALING PRESS.

(Application filed Apr. 17, 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet II I i? In Q osephJAt/iimmgfiwmh Kw at beam21 Patented Apr. 22, I902.

J. J ATKINSON.

BALING PRESS. (Application filed Apr. 17, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

w L q Vrl ucmco JOSEPII J. ATKINSON,

BALING- ATENT @FFICE.

OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

PRESS.

SPEGIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 698,353, dated April22, 1902.

Application filed April 17, 1901. Serial No. 561253- (No model.)

To (/JZZ whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. ATKINSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and u seful Baling-Press, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to baling-presses of the roller type which aredesigned for making round or cylindrical bales of cotton andsimilar-material and comprising means for forming the bale from highlycompressed layers laid spirally endwise of the bale, or rather (if thecolumn of fiber, which when completed constitutes the bale. Abalingpress of this character is described and illustrated in myconcurrent application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 25,938, filed onor about August 4, 1900, and my present invention is intended as animprovement of the press therein shown. In the application aforesaid thepress comprehends a compressing device or head employed to draw in thecotton or other material from a supply in bulk and to compress the sameinto condensed flattened layers laid endwise of the column of fiber bythe relative rotation of the compressing device and the baling cylinderor chamber usually in subjacent relation to the compressing device.Suitably journaled in the compressing-head and bodily movable with thelatter are a number of conical compressing-rollers arranged in acircular series or horizontallyarranged group, and the invention, so faras the companion application was concerned, re-

sided in the positive rotation of these rollers at a higher rate ofspeed than can possibly be obtained from the surface friction of therollers and also in the provision of means for varying the peripheralspeed of the rollers by shifting them longitudinally to increase theirdiameters within the vertical plane of the baling cylinder or chamber.The additional peripheral speed of the compression-rollers obtained bytheir positive actuation contributes materially to the successfuloperation of the press,because the inner or smaller ends of the conicalrollers are thus made to revolve about fifteen per cent. faster thanthey would revolve if impelled simply by frictional contact with a plainsurface, while the outer ends of the rollers revolve at a speed aboutten per cent. faster than they would if frictionally driven in themanner statedthat is to say, the percentage of increased speed near thecenter of theubale is very much greater than at the outside, and I havefound that this peculiarity of my press is of great During the course ofa series of experiments with the press as described in the applicationabove identified I have found that the cotton as it is laid between therollers has a tendency to draw toward the center of the bale. This isapparently due to the rotary movement imparted to the cotton at the topof the bale by the rotationof the compressinghead and its rollers, andif permitted to con tinue would result in the formation of a halolacking that uniformity of density which is essential to the commercialvalue of bales of this character-thatis tosay, the movement of thecotton toward the center of the bale or the inward drawing ofthe'cotton'serves to edect the undue compression of acomparatively largebody of fiber at the center of the bale, the body of fiber at the outeredge of the bale being correspondingly decreased. While this tendency ofthe press as originally constructed was not sufficient to render thepress impractical or to oifset the many advantages accruing from thenovel features thereof, it is nevertheless desirable to provide meansfor overcoming this tendency of the cotton at the top of the halo tomove toward the center thereof, and the accomplishment of this end isthe primary object of the invention now under consideration.

The primary object of the invention may therefore be said to be theprevention of the inward-drawing or centripetal movement of the fiber ina press of the roller type.

To the accomplishment of this end the invention consists in providingmeans disposed intermediate of the rollers and within the IOG plane ofthe baling-cylinder for opposing resistance to the inward movement ofthe fiber and overcoming to a greater or less extent the tendency of theupper layer of cotton to form waves or billows in advance of therollers; and the invention consists, still further, in the constructionand arrangement of parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and embraced within the scope of theappended claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a baling-pressembodying theimprovements contemplated by the present invention. Fig. 2is a top plan View of the subjectmatter of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a detailsectional view on the line 4 4: of Fig. 2 looking in the directionindicated by the arrow on said figure, and Fig. 5 is a detail sectionalview on the line 5 5 of of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated;

. The same numerals of reference will be employed to designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the practice of the'present invention the ordinary parts of the pressmay be constructed in any desired manner and mounted in any approved wayto insure its proper operation; but for the purpose of illustrating thenovel features contemplated by the present invention I have shown anupright pressstand 1, resting upon a suitable base 2 and supporting atits upper end what I have termed a top-supporting frame 3, within whichare mounted the principal working parts of the press. In its presentform the press comprises a pair of upright standards supporting a pairof upper and lower horizontal frame-plates 4 and 5, constituting thetopsupporting frame, and from the lower plate 5 depends the balingcylinder or chamber 6, differing from that shown in my concurrentapplication by being somewhat shorter, as I find that a baling-chamberof greater length is unnecessary and merely adds to the expense of thepress. The baling chamber or cylinder, which, as usual, conforms incon-' tour anddimensions to the completed bale, accommodates thereceding follower 7, associated with any suitable pressure mechanism,which for illustrative purposes is shown in the drawings in the form ofan ordinary hydraulic pressure mechanism 8, whose ram or piston 9supports the receding follower 7 and opposes such resistance to therecession of the follower as will effect the desired compression of thebale as the latter is formed in the manner described.

In that form of the invention illustrated in the drawings the balingchamber or cylinder 6 is rigidly fitted to the lower frame-plate 5 inany suitable manner and registers with a central bale-opening 10, formedin said plate, which opening in turn is in registering relation with acentral opening 10 in the upper frame plate 4, the latter opening beingof somewhat greater diameter than the opening 10 and designed to permitthe passage of the loose cotton or other fiber to the baling mechanism.In the preferred construction of the press the cylinder 6 is providedwith a plurality of longitudinal tie-receiving slots 11, through whichthe bale-ties are passed to secure the bale in the usual manner beforeit is delivered from the press; but inasmuch as I find the removablefilling-strips recited in my former application to be unnecessary theslots 11 are left open in the present construction.

.As in the former application, the present invention residesparticularlyin the construction of the compressing-head 16, which isarranged within the top-supporting frame 3, immediately over the upperend of the baling cylinder or chamber 6, and disposed in a fixedhorizontal plane to constitute a rigid abutment resisting the endwisethrust'of the compressed column of material within the baling cylinderor chamber, while also constituting means for feeding or drawing in thefiber and compressing the same into condensed flattened layers laidspirally upon the end of the column by the relative rotation of thecompressing-head and baling-chamber.

In the type of press shown it is of course necessary to provide for therelative rotation of the compressing members-to wit,the compressing-headand the baling cylinderor chamberalthough, generally speaking, it isunimportant which of these elements is caused to rotate. In some formsof roller-presses the cylinder and the body of fiber or bale are rotated, while the compressing-head remains stationary,and,as in thepresent construction, it is equally possible and perhaps preferable toaccomplish the desired result by the employment of a fixed cylinder orchamber and a cooperating rotary compressing-head. The particularadvantage in the latter construction over the former is that therotation of the head requires the application of less power than isnecessary to rotate the baling-cylinder and the contained body of fiberor material being baled.

The compressing device or head 16 comprises a roller-carriage 17,preferably in the form of a hollow circular frame, formed with an outerpendent rim 18, the lower edge of which is disposed immediately outsideof an upstanding bearing-flange 19, cast or otherwise formed upon theupper side of the lower frame-plate 5 and constituting means forretaining the roller-carriage in proper position for movement in a fixedcircular plane. Any suitable means for operating the carriage 17 may beemployed; but such means preferably comprehends the provision of agear-wheel 20, formed at the upper corner of the carriage and meshingwith a driving-pinion 21, keyed upon the inner end of a driving-shaft22, journaled in upstanding bearings 23, formed upon the frame-plate 4,the shaft 22 being driven by the application of power fromany suitablesource. The roller-carriage 17 is provided; with an open center disposed"in the Vertical plane'of the bailing-cylinder, and within this i topresent the lowerfaces of the several rollmade plain,the means foropposing resistanceopening is arranged a series of radially-dis posedconical compressing-rollers24, having their inner and outer spindleextremities 25 and 26 disposed coaxially in an oblique plane ers inthesame horizontal plane, said rollers thereby constituting an abutmentfor thenpper end of thecolumn of compressed material within the chamber6. The compressingrollers24 radiate from the center of therollercarriage in spaced relation, and their inner spindle extremities25 are loosely journaled in the inner bearings 27, provided in abearing-hub 28, fixedat the centerof the central opening through theroller-carriage 17 andrigidly retainedas, for instance, bya plurality ofbrace bars orwebs 29, extendingradially from the hub 28 .to the innercircular wall 30 of the roller-carriage, which wall is arranged somewhatdifferently fromthe innerwall of the press as originally constructed andconstitutes, inia manner which will be to the centripetal movement oflihQCOttOllp The rollers 24 are capable of longitudinal movement andareiprovided, as in the pre: vious construction,with adjustable hearingsin the form of adjustable screws 31, engaging threaded openings 32 inthe outerrim 18 of the carriage; but instead of pointing theinner endsof these screws for engagement with correspondingly-shaped sockets intheouter spindle extremities 26 of therollers I now con-y templatetheintroduction of an antifrictionball 33 intermediate of the contiguousends of each outer spindle and the adjacent screw, the provision ofthese antifriction devices serving to .decrease the lossof poweroccasioned by-the1end thrust of the roller upon its bearing. For thepurpose ofipositively operating the compression-rollers through therotation of the movable press element or member each'of said rollers isprovided with a driving-gear 35, splined upon the outer-spindleextremity 26 of the roller and having an annularly-grooved journal-hub36, journaled in a bearing 37, formed in a pendent bearinghanger 38,located withinthe roller-carriage and extending downwardly inanoutwardlyinclined direction from thetop wall thereof.

This form of mountingleaves the rollers free to be adjustedlongitudinally for the purpose of increasing the surface speed thereofwith respect to the fiber being compressed and at the same time permitstheseveral gears 35 to rotate the rollers ,by engagement with a cir.cular rack 39, preferably formedin .the upper face of the frame-plate 5,so thatas thecompressing-head of the press is rotated itwill constitutethe medium through which rotary movement is imparted to the severalrollers l at a higher rate of speedthan could possibly:

be obtained from mere frictional contact of therollers withaplainsurface. ,1 l

In my previous application I havedescribed in detail the manner ofeffecting the adjustment of the rollers to increase theirdiametersjwithin the Vertical plane of the baling cylinder or chamber inorder to increase the peripheral speed of the rollers, and while I donotconsider it necessaryto enter into an exhaustive discussion of thisphase of the press, at the same time it may be stated that in formingabale beneath conical compressingrollers the upper end of thecompressedcok umn of material lyingimmediately under the rollers is notflat throughout, but presents a wavy undulating surface defining crestsor ridgesin the spaces between the rollers. The positive rotation of therollers serves to cause them to surmount these crests onridges andprevents the material fromiaccumulating in advance of the rollers andblocking theoperation of the device. I have found, however, that whilethe original construction is highly effectto say, more or less rotarymovement is given the upper surface of the bale by therotation of theroller-head, andthis movement, combined with the variation of surfacespeed at different points in theilength of theroller,

serves to effect more or less centripetal moves ment of the fiber,whichwhile notamounting to a vi talobjection is none the less undesir- IOCable, and its elimination has calledqfor the origination ofthesubject-matterof this application. it Obviously the most efiectivemanner of overcoming this indrawingorcentripetal movement of -thefiberpassing under the rollers is to oppose the necessary resistance tothefibrous mass adjacent to that point from whichthe'fiber hasaitendency to draw.

In carrying out the present invention,therefore, I utilize the innercirculariwall3O of the roller-carriage 17, and in order toadapt thiswall for the performance of the function stated I provide a simpleconstruction which serves to locate the wall entirelywithin theverticalrplane of thebale, so thatthe upper exercise of inventivegenius, resulting in the end of the latter is-forced upwardly againsttheilower edge ofwthetiwall 3O adjacen-t to the outer edge of the bale.The innei walli30, which byreason of its new function I shall term acompression-ring? is, therefore, of

less diameter than the diameterof thechamber orcylinder G andiswrecessedforthe passagelof therollers'24;theloweredges of which wall3,0,the edge 3,9. being preferablyrounded, as shown, to prevent injuryofthe fiber. ringr30 is supported at its at upper end by a spacing-rin g40, interposedbetween the ring The l are disposed in a i slightly-lowerplane than r the lower edge 39 of the compression-ring or 30 and aguard-ring 41, secured within the opening 10 in the top wall of theroller-carriage, the rings 40 and41 being located in the plane of thetop wall of the carriage instead of being pendent therefrom.

In-the present embodiment of theinvention I have illustrated a singlefeeding-space 42, defined between a pair of rollers separated to aslightly-greater extent than the others, and in order that thefeeding-space may extend from the hub 28 to the extreme interior surfaceof the cylinder 6 the compression-ring 30 is cut away at one side toform a vertical feedslot 43, (see Fig. 5,) the front wall 44 of which isinclined and the rear wall 45 of which is vertically disposed and islocated substantially in the vertical plane of the axis of one of therollers 24. It is evident, however, that this opening must be guarded toconfine the cotton to the vertical plane of the cylinder that is to say,a guard must be provided to preventthe fiber-escaping through the slot43 from extending laterally beyond the vertical plane of thecylinder-walls. I therefore form a pendent guard-plate 46 upon theguard-ring'4l, said guard-plate being disposed opposite the slot 43 andof sufficiently greater width than said slot to prevent the escape ofthe fiber, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) attention being called to the fact thatthis guardplate 46 extends practically to the upper face of the bottomplate 5.

While the-machine is in operation,the pressrollers 24 revolve a fractionmore during each rotation of the roller-carriage than they would iftheir revolution was effected simply by frictional contact with a plainsurface, and while the provision for varying the peripheral speed of therollers serves to overcome in large measure the banking of the materialin advance of the rollers the objectionable inward-drawing orcentripetal movement of the fibers is produced, as heretofore stated. Itis impossible, however, to entirely overcome the tendency of the uppersurface of the bale to undulate, and as a consequence more or less ofthe fiber will extend upwardly between the rollers as the bale is beingformed. In accomplishing the object of the present inventionI takeadvantage of this fact, and by disposing the circular wall orcompression-ring 30 within the circumferential plane of the bale Ioppose an effective resistance to the upper surface of the bale at apoint adjacent to the outer edge thereof and at the same time remove thecompression device or ring to a su fficient distance above the loweredges of the rollers to prevent any interference with the propercompression of the bale or with the feeding of the fiber to the press.In other words, I find that the inward drawing of the fibers toward thecenter of the bale may be counteracted by holding down the extreme outeredges of the bale by a pressure which will be just sufficient to preventthe cotton from slipping inward from underneath the compression device,but which will not be sufficient to injure the fiber as the compressingmember is moved with the compresing-head, and the result is thata baleof uniform density is produced and all liability of clogging the machineis obviated. The general operation of the press is well understood bythose skilled in the art and need not, therefore, be detailed for thepurpose of this exposition.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have produced abaling-press of the roller type embodying means for preventingcentripetal movement or the indrawing of the fiber from the edge of thebale toward the center thereof; but while the present embodiment of theinvention appears at this time to be preferable I desire to bedistinctly understood as reserving to myself the right to effect suchchanges, modifications, and variations of the illustrated structure as,may be suggested by experience and experiment so long as they areproperly embraced within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim is 1. In a press of the character described, thecombination with a baling-chamber and a compressing-head, of means foreffecting the relative rotation of the head and chamber, and means foropposing resistance to the undue drawing of the fiber, of the balelocated within the chamber, toward the center of the bale from the outerportion thereof.

2. In a press of the character described, the combination with abaling-chamber and a compressing-head, of means for effecting therelative rotation of the head and chamber, and a compression membercarried by the head and bearing against the face of the bale at oradjacent to the outer edge only thereof to prevent the undue drawing ofthe fiber toward the center of the bale.

3. In a press of the character described, the combination with afollower and a compressing-head including a series of compressingmembers, of a compression device disposed intermediate of thecompressing members and bearing against the face of the bale to preventundue drawing of the fiber toward the center thereof.

4. In a press of the character described, the combination with abaling-chamber, of a compressing-head arranged over said chamber, acircular series of conical rollers supported by said head and disposedwithin the plane of the baling-ehamber, means for causing a relativerotation between the baling-chamber and said compressing-head, and meansdisposed intermediate of the rollers for opposing resistance to theundue drawing of the fiber toward the center of the bale.

5. In a press of the character described, the combination with abaling-chamber, of a'compressing-head arranged over said chamber, acircular series of conical rollers supported by said head, means forcausing a relative rotation between the baling-chamber and'saidcompressing-head, and a compression-ring disposed to bear against theend of the bale at points intermediate of the rollers to oppose aresistance to the undue drawing of the fiber toward the center of thebale.

6. In a press of the character described, the combination withabaling-chamber, of a compressing-head arranged over said chamber, andprovided with a compression-ring located above, but within thecircumferential plane of, said chamber, a circular series of conicalrollers supported by said head and disposed in the vertical plane of thebaling-chamber, the under sides of saidrollers being disposed in a planeslightly below the plane of the lower edge of the compression-ring,andmeans for causing a relative rotation between the baling-chamber andsaid compressing-head, whereby the bale will be compressed and unduedrawing of the fibers toward the center of the bale will be prevented bythe compression-ring.

7. In a press of the character described, the combination withabaling-chamber, of a compressing-head arranged over said chamber andprovided with a compression-ring, concentric with but of smallerdiameter than the chamber and divided to form a feed'opening, a guardfor said feed-opening disposed substantially in the vertical plane ofthe wall of the baling-chamber, and a series of conical rollerssupported by said head and passed through the compression-ring.

8. In a press of the character described, the combination with abaling-chamber, of a compressing-head arranged over said chamber,

and having a pendent inner wall constituting a compression-ringconcentric with but of smaller diameter than the baling-chamber, and aseries of compressing-rollers supported by the head and passed throughthe compression-ring.

9. Inapress of the character described, the combination with a baling-chamber, of a compressing-head arranged over said chamber and providedwith a pendent inner wall constituting a compression-ring concentricwith but of smaller diameter than the balingchamber, said wall beingdivided to form a feed-opening, one side of which is inclined, a

guard-plate disposed directly opposite the feed-opening, and a circularseries of conical rollers supported by the head and passed through theguard-ring, said rollers being disposed to define a feed-space inlinewith 'the opening in the ring.

10. In a press of the character described, the combination with abaling-chamber, of a compressing-head arranged over said chamher andhaving a pendent inner wall concentric with but of'smaller diameter thanthe chamber, and divided at one side to form a feed-opening, aspacing-ring encircling the upper end of the compression-ring, aguardring encircling the spacing-ring and retained ber, a circularseries of conical rollers supported by said head and disposed within theplane of the baling-chamber, means for causing a relativerotationbetween the balingchamber and the compressing-head, means forpositively actuating the rollers,and means disposed intermediate of therollers for resisting the undue drawing of the fiber toward the centerof thebale from the outerportion thereof.

12. In a press of the character described,

the combination with a baling-chamber, of a compressing-head providedwith a series of conical rollers supported by said head and havingsuitably-journaled inner and outer spindles, adjustment-screws disposedto shift said rollers longitudinally, and antifrictionballs interposedbetween the screws and the adjacent ends of the roller-spindles. 13. Ina press of the character described, the combination with a follower, ofa compressing-head arranged over said follower, a circular series ofconical rollers supportedby said head, means for causing a relativerotation between said follower and said compressing-head, and acompressing-ring disposed to bear against the end of the bale at pointsintermediate of the rollers to oppose a'resis tan co to the unduedrawing of the fiber toward the center of the bale.

14. In a press of the character described, the combination with afollower, of a compressing-head arranged over said follower and providedwith a compression-ring concentric with but of smaller diameter than thefollower and divided to form a feed-opening, and a series of conicalrollers supported by said head and passed through the compression-ring.

15. In a press of the character described, the combination with afollower, of a compressing-head arranged oversaid follower and having apendent inner wallconstituting a compression ring concentric with but ofsmaller diameter than the follower, and aseries of compressing-rollerssupported by the head and passed through the compressionring.

16. In a press of the character described, the combination with afollower, of a compressing-head arranged over said follower, andcomposed of a series of conical rollers, said head having a pendentinner wall con stituting a compression-ring concentric with but ofsmaller diameterthan the follower, and means for imparting anindependent positive rotation to said rollersat slightly more thannormal speed.

17. In a press of the character described, the combination with abailing-chamber, and a compressing-head, of means for effecting therelative rotation of the head and chamber,

and means located Within the chamber for opposing resistance to theundue drawing of the fiber toward the center of the bale from the outerportion thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature'in 10 the presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH J. ATKINSON.

Witnesses:

O. R. HARMON, W. O. BREEDLOVE.

